The U.S. has suspended aid to Pakistan, prompting several essential initiatives to pause while awaiting a comprehensive review ordered by President Donald Trump, affecting 11 governance projects and multiple programs under the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP).
This halt follows a directive from the US State Department to pause all ongoing foreign assistance projects and withhold the initiation of new ones. A cable from the department, authorized by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, indicates that this stoppage is part of a broader assessment to ensure foreign aid aligns with US foreign policy goals. Interestingly, the cable mentions waivers granted for military financing to Egypt and other Middle Eastern nations but excludes additional specifics about other countries.
Read: Trump threatens Pakistan to cut US aid
The suspension affects diverse sectors within Pakistan, including energy, economic growth, agriculture, education, and health. It also halts funding for bolstering democracy, human rights, and governance.
As the leading global donor, this pause threatens to disrupt billions in aid; the US disbursed $72 billion in fiscal year 2023 alone. The outcomes of the US review will determine the future of these programs.
Critics, like Jeremy Konyndyk, a former USAID official and current president of Refugees International, have voiced stark opposition to this move. Konyndyk describes the decision as detrimental, predicting that if fully implemented as per the State Department’s directive, it could lead to significant loss of life. He argues that this is not a genuine effort to evaluate the effectiveness of foreign assistance but rather a destructive measure likely to cause extensive harm.
